Normoweight as a minority?

[Sid]

Maybe it's the holiday season making people self-conscious. Recently, I've noticed more snarky comments from overweight people. "You can eat that, just run 5 miles." Some out of concern, "you've lost weight, are you okay?" I'm actually now a normal-sized guy, bmi 23, 10-12% bodyfat.

www.gallup.com/poll/156707/majority-overweight-obese-states.aspx

Normoweight individuals are in the minority now, and I'm wondering if they're being treated as such. I know that around the world, Americans are commonly perceived to be overweight and obese. Perhaps, it's so common in th US that it's completely skewed the image of what Americans think is normal and healthy? Anyone else get these comments?

 

[clawhammer72]

Not yet. But I'm not normoweight yet. Congratulations!

 

[RunningPirate]

I get it from my family, mainly. I was a fat kid growing up, so if I lose "too much" weight they think I'm anorexic. Of course, when I was pushing 280, no one said peep other than "here, have another." I'm told this has to do with people having a certain image of you in their mind, so when you no longer conform to that it creates some sort of...I don't know - cognitive dissonance? Mainly - they don't like that you're different now and want you to go back to what you were before so they can be happier.

I think there is a perceived acceptance of saying "Just [insert exercise here] a little more, then you can eat this" with no consideration what you're battling in order to keep the weight down...

 

[Sid]

Yes, I think you're right. I was fat growing up and my parents would very reasonably suggest that I lose weight (of course, with no practical suggestions of how I'd go about doing so). So, when I finally did lose it decades later, it's "oh, you're too skinny!" My brother has always been skinny, and no comments about him.

I think that the comments fall into two categories. One is genuine concern, perhaps due to that mental image you've mentioned. The other I think is more of a projection of their own insecurities. The snarky remarks seem to come from overweight folks who have struggled with weight themselves, who perhaps sub-consciously want me to regain the weight so they won't feel so self-conscious?

 

[DNEchris]

Anyone else get these comments?

Yeah - but I'm rather enjoying weighing what I did in high school!

 

[NickW]

I get the opposite. Everybody gets on me about what I eat. I was a super skinny kid growing up who then became stocky with muscles and then ballooned into a fat boy after two back surgeries. Nobody notices when I lose weight and they all tell me I'm too heavy and need to lose more weight, despite all the exercising and dieting I've done and still do (ok I've just recently been trying to get good with the diet again). I am down about 12-13 pounds from what I was two years ago, but nobody except my wife notices.

 

[migangelo]

i was skinny growing up and would hear about that all the time. i then put on some weight to fill out and then got overweight. i've lost and gained weight a few times and every time people tell me i'm too skinny even though i'm still heavier than when i really was skinny. i just have a somewhat small frame and not much musculature. i haven't ever been able to lose the belly since i got that. sad thing is i now run a lot where as i never use to exercise and i have been stuck at this weight for some two years now. i just eat too much.

 

[jldeleon]

Maybe it's the holiday season making people self-conscious. Recently, I've noticed more snarky comments from overweight people. "You can eat that, just run 5 miles." Some out of concern, "you've lost weight, are you okay?" I'm actually now a normal-sized guy, bmi 23, 10-12% bodyfat.

www.gallup.com/poll/156707/majority-overweight-obese-states.aspx

Normoweight individuals are in the minority now, and I'm wondering if they're being treated as such. I know that around the world, Americans are commonly perceived to be overweight and obese. Perhaps, it's so common in th US that it's completely skewed the image of what Americans think is normal and healthy? Anyone else get these comments?

I'm a formerly fat girl. I can attest to the fact that obese and overweight people are insecure and bitter and angry over their own lack of discipline when it comes to diet and exercise, which is why many say aggravating things to people who DO utilize the discipline to get, and stay, healthy. So "yes" being heavier than average is now the new "normal" because our culture has to have some way to justify their bad habits, when it comes to their physical health.

An aside: In the personals, if a woman lists she is a BBW, look out! That is now code for at least 50 lbs overweight! It used to be curvy.

 

[PB Junkie]

I don't get those exact comments but its interesting to me that people assume I've always been at a healthy weight. I get comments like "you don't have to watch what you eat, you're thin." The truth is, I'm at a healthy weight BECAUSE I watch what I eat and get plenty of exercise.

Conversely, the folks I work with think I never eat anything that's unhealthy and I work out like a madwoman. They can't imagine the days when I weighed 70 pounds more than I do now.

I find perceptions of overweight folks can be far off too. How many races have you been to when an overweight or even fat person has been a moderately fast runner? For a slow runner like me, I see quite a few.

Sorry, got a bit off topic. It does seem that persons of normal or healthy weight are becoming the minority.

 

[migangelo]

i went to Europe in the summer and the overweight people were in the minority. i think also American.

 

[skedaddle]

The sad thing is all those people who think I have a problem are obese or borderline obese. The perception of what constitutes normal weight to them has been cynically distorted by junk food companies who spend millions on advertising trying to make obesity socially acceptable so they can sell more product.
Many of the sponsors of the recent Olympic games were well known junk food companies.

 

[ChasingShadows]

I need to lose weight, so no comments directed to me, but it does drive me mad when others are making the effort to lose weight & people trying to push cake or sweets on them. Remember one "friend" getting into a right huff with me in the past because she brought cake in for me, knowing full well I was on a strict health kick, and I wouldn't eat it!
I do find it disturbing that my weight is that socially acceptable that I've been told at the doctors it's not a health issue. I'm 40+lbs over my healthy weight, I may not be about to keel over but it's definitely something I need to address.
When I was thin people would just comment on how much I ate & tell me it'd all catch up with me; it would appear they were right!

 

[Abide]

I just calculated my BMI for me to be normoweight I would have to be between 125lbs-168lbs. Sorry I don't want to look like a preteen, I'll stick with obesity.

I get when looking at populations this stuff may be somewhat reliable but seriously how could a healthy adult male weigh 125lbs?

Edit: well unless you are the shortwhiteguy.

 

[Sid]

I get when looking at populations this stuff may be somewhat reliable but seriously how could a healthy adult male weigh 125lbs?

I'm guessing that 125lb (for that height) would really only be considered healthy if that person was a world-ranked distance runner.

I don't think that the bmi accounts for muscular athletes, more just average joe/jane couch potato.

 

[NickW]

I just calculated my BMI for me to be normoweight I would have to be between 125lbs-168lbs. Sorry I don't want to look like a preteen, I'll stick with obesity.

I get when looking at populations this stuff may be somewhat reliable but seriously how could a healthy adult male weigh 125lbs?

Edit: well unless you are the shortwhiteguy.

When I was in the Army I had to get taped a lot because I was too heavy for my height (although I was less than 10% body fat at the time). At 180 on a 5'7" guy, despite having lot's of muscle, those normal scales and measures didn't measure me out right. To these I was obese. I think they are fine for average people, but if you have any sort of bulk in muscle on you, these are not accurate.

 

[Sid]

I think the next time I receive a snarky comment, I'm going to try to respond gracefully, "Hey, you know what? We should exercise together sometime."

Then if there's an excuse I could say, "That's okay, we all have to start somewhere. No worries! It'll be fun! What do you want to do?"

As I understand, co-opting and converting naysayers is a strategy used in politics and business. Maybe we can shift the scales!

 

[jldeleon]

I don't get those exact comments but its interesting to me that people assume I've always been at a healthy weight. I get comments like "you don't have to watch what you eat, you're thin." The truth is, I'm at a healthy weight BECAUSE I watch what I eat and get plenty of exercise.

Conversely, the folks I work with think I never eat anything that's unhealthy and I work out like a madwoman. They can't imagine the days when I weighed 70 pounds more than I do now.

I find perceptions of overweight folks can be far off too. How many races have you been to when an overweight or even fat person has been a moderately fast runner? For a slow runner like me, I see quite a few.

Sorry, got a bit off topic. It does seem that persons of normal or healthy weight are becoming the minority.

I had a friend help me make this "before and after" photo of myself with like a 60 lb. weight difference. I showed it to my co-workers (most of whom are overweight) and they about died from shock because they too assumed I had always been thin-ish.

And I am always AMAZED at how many heavy people are at the races and obstacle courses that I go to! Of course, my step-daughter is a Zumba instructor and you'd think with all the working out she does she would have lost weight. But she hasn't. She is still as over-weight as she has always been. That's because she eats like crap, tons of carbs and dairy. You really can't get it under control until you watch both what you eat and exercise regularly.

 

[jldeleon]

I need to lose weight, so no comments directed to me, but it does drive me mad when others are making the effort to lose weight & people trying to push cake or sweets on them. Remember one "friend" getting into a right huff with me in the past because she brought cake in for me, knowing full well I was on a strict health kick, and I wouldn't eat it!
I do find it disturbing that my weight is that socially acceptable that I've been told at the doctors it's not a health issue. I'm 40+lbs over my healthy weight, I may not be about to keel over but it's definitely something I need to address.
When I was thin people would just comment on how much I ate & tell me it'd all catch up with me; it would appear they were right!

They don't want their other overweight friends to become thinner, cuz they don't want to be alone in the denial -hence the cake pushing.

 

[jldeleon]

I think the next time I receive a snarky comment, I'm going to try to respond gracefully, "Hey, you know what? We should exercise together sometime."

Then if there's an excuse I could say, "That's okay, we all have to start somewhere. No worries! It'll be fun! What do you want to do?"

As I understand, co-opting and converting naysayers is a strategy used in politics and business. Maybe we can shift the scales!

I've asked my friends at work if they want to go walking, but now they use other excuses...sigh. Two of them even told me I am now their "trainer" for an upcoming obstacle course (a year away). I told them what they need to do, but you know it's easy to think about it, much harder to do it.

 

[RunningPirate]

When I was in the Army I had to get taped a lot because I was too heavy for my height (although I was less than 10% body fat at the time). At 180 on a 5'7" guy, despite having lot's of muscle, those normal scales and measures didn't measure me out right. To these I was obese. I think they are fine for average people, but if you have any sort of bulk in muscle on you, these are not accurate.

I'm 5'10" and 205lbs (depending on the week, but you get the gist) - giving me a BMI of 29.4 - just a shade under obese. Now, yes, I can lose about 20 lbs of fat or so...but a lot of the weight is legs (tree trunk legs...ye gods), hence I would not consider myself "obese". What sucks? My health insurance premiums are determined by my BMI...not body fat or blood numbers or how much I exercise or whatnot: Just the ratio of my weight to my height.

Edit: Also, I'd have to be 173 in order to reach 24.8 BMI which would be the top end of "normal". I'd be wretched at 173...